CULTURAL MAPPING: DEBATING SPACES AND PLACES. 22 nd 23 rd October Valletta, Malta CALL FOR PAPERS. Background CONFERENCE.

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1 CULTURAL MAPPING: DEBATING SPACES AND PLACES 22 nd 23 rd October 2015 Valletta, Malta CALL FOR PAPERS Background The European Capital of Culture (ECoC) aims to highlight the richness and diversity of European cultures and the features they share, as well as to promote greater mutual understanding between European citizens. The title is based on a European Community Action and is assigned on two main dimensions, namely: (i) the European Dimension, and (ii) the City and Citizens dimension. Various cities look at the title as a different opportunity, with legacy being one of the most desirable outcomes of receiving the title. The City of Valletta was declared European Capital of Culture (ECoC) 2018 on the 12 th October The Valletta 2018 Foundation 1 is responsible for implementing the project in Valletta and Malta. The ECoC will include all the Maltese Islands, with an aim to spread the impacts throughout the whole Maltese territory. Valletta will be hosting the title in 2018 with the Dutch city of Leeuwarden. CONFERENCE Conference Aims The Valletta 2018 Foundation has launched a series of annual international conferences addressing different aspects related to cultural relations in Europe and the Mediterranean. The ECoC is a European flagship project aiming to raise positive awareness of Europeanness among EU citizens and beyond, and following 25 years and circa 50 such cities, results are mixed. In 2015, the second annual Valletta 2018 Foundation International Conference on Cultural Relations in Europe and the Mediterranean will take place, focusing on Cultural Mapping. 1 The Valletta 2018 Foundation is responsible for the implementation of the cultural programme, which will enable the participation of the citizens of Malta and Europe and will form an integral and sustainable part of the long-term social, economic and cultural development of Valletta. In conjunction with the cultural programme, the Foundation will develop a programme of consistent, accessible and comparable research and evaluation directly linked to culture.

2 Since 2012, the Valletta 2018 Foundation has been working on the Cultural Mapping project which seeks to generate information and analysis on the use of spaces for cultural purposes 2. Cultural Mapping may be defined as, a process collecting, recording, analysing, and synthesising information in order to describe the cultural resources, networks, links and patterns of usage of a given community or group. Cultural Mapping enables us to understand and share culture; to rethink history; and to promote creativity and development. The process of mapping by itself draws attention to the existence and importance of cultural resources. The results point out problems to be solved or strengths to build upon 3. The Valletta 2018 Foundation s Cultural Mapping project is the first exercise of this kind to be carried out within the local context and aims to allow cultural practitioners, artists, policy makers and town planners to identify the sites and spaces of cultural relevance within each locality. Conference Objectives The central objective of this conference is to bring together academics and practitioners to share knowledge about and debate cultural mapping and its implications within a Euro-Mediterranean context, in order to develop a better understanding of how various experiences and practices are developing over time. The conference has the following objectives: To bring together academics and practitioners contributions on cultural mapping worldwide, with a specific focus on European and Mediterranean countries/regions; To compare and contrast existing typologies and understandings on cultural mapping; To support the development of a better understanding on how cultural mapping exercises can be utilised as a tool for policy makers and cultural practitioners; To promote cooperation between researchers and operators with regards to cultural mapping; To foster debate about the legacy of cultural mapping practices. Conference themes The conference will be structured according to the following themes: 1. A multi & intra-disciplinary approach to cultural mapping 2. Reviving culture through mapping 3. Mapping cultural policy 4. The social dimension of cultural mapping 5. Digital mapping as an application in different contexts 6. Cultural mapping as a tool for artistic practitioners 7. The mapping legacy: what happens next? These themes are to be discussed and elaborated in detail with the conference's Scientific Committee. 2 Direct project deliverables include (i) a map of each locality in Malta and Gozo, based on Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology; (ii) an academic publication analysing contemporary cultural activity in relation to the use of these same spaces; and (iii) an audit of all theatre spaces in Malta and Gozo analysing their structural condition and artistic suitability. 3 Steward, S., 2007, Cultural Mapping Toolkit. Available from: 2

3 Project partners The conference is being organised by the Valletta 2018 Foundation in collaboration with the Centre for Social Studies, University of Coimbra. The conference is also endorsed by the Ministry of Justice, Culture and Local Government and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. The Foundation will also be looking to collaborate with different Ministries, and is happy to collaborate with various institutes end engage in different partnerships to engage different sectors of Maltese society and international participants and widen its collaboration. Timeline Save the date February 2015 Conference launch February 2015 First call for abstracts and posters issued February 2015 First call for abstracts and posters closes 27 th March 2015 Registration launch April 2015 Second and Final Call for abstracts and posters issued May 2015 Second and Final Call for abstracts and posters closes May 2015 Selection decisions to authors June 2015 Early registration closes August 2015 Final registration September 2015 Submission of final papers October 2015 Conference 22 nd & 23 rd October 2015 Submitting an abstract The conference will take place over two days, 22 nd and 23 rd October 2015, in Valletta, Malta. The conference will include two plenary sessions, one speed networking session, to further increase networking opportunities, and a number of parallel sessions. Contributions from academics and practitioners worldwide addressing some of the issues highlighted above are welcome. The range of papers should cover both theoretical and methodological perspectives and practical examples of the issues and challenges faced by researchers and practitioners All interested researchers, PhD students and practitioners are invited to submit, by , a paper proposal (abstract) of around 400 words by no later than Friday 27th March 2015 to research@valletta2018.org. 20 minute oral presentations will be allotted to each presenter, followed by an exchange session with participants. 3

4 To submit a proposal, send a document containing the following: Project title; Five keywords; Abstract not exceeding 400 words; Short bibliography (a minimum of 5 relevant references) in support of the proposal; Full details of primary author, including name, surname, title, institution, , phone number; Name(s) of other authors (if applicable); A short bio not exceeding 250 words. Late proposals may be considered if space is available. Applicants will be notified of the acceptance of their proposal by not later than Friday 26 th June Registration will be open in May Call for Posters The conference will also include a Poster session. Below are some guidelines for submission: Poster shall address at least one of the conference thematic areas Interested participants shall submit an abstract of 300 words (max) describing the poster; Poster presentations should incorporate illustrative materials such as tables, graphs, photographs, and large-print text, and materials should be clearly readable from a distance of three feet; Poster presentations may represent completed work or work that is currently taking place, and is to illustrate new findings or approaches to the subject matter; Participants whose proposal will be accepted shall use a standard poster size of A1 with a good quality paper. The chosen posters will be on display for part of the event. The authors will be encouraged to stand by their poster and discuss aspects of their research with attendees and delegates during this session. Applicants are encouraged to submit an abstract outlining the main themes of the poster by not later than Friday 27 th March 2015 to research@valletta2018.org.. Applicants will be notified of the acceptance of their poster proposal by not later than Friday 31 st July Conference costs All participants will be required to register for the conference through the Valletta 2018 Foundation website. Other details The conference main language shall be English. The Valletta 2018 Foundation may also offer sign language interpretation upon request. The Valletta 2018 Foundation will be looking at the possibility of including artistic and creative performances during the conference programme. 4

5 Proceedings The Valletta 2018 Foundation will publish an electronic version of the conference proceedings as per Dialogue in the Med conference. The Valletta 2018 Foundation will also be exploring the possibility of publishing a number of papers in select journals following the conference. Contact details For information about the conference, please visit or contact Graziella Vella - graziella.vella@valletta2018.org, Research Coordinator, Valletta 2018 Foundation -END- 5